High Prince Demend, an Elf and changeling, and his mate Nathan Summers are doing their best to run the Guardian City. With the pair trying to keep Demend from dying from his own magic and a summons from the Higher Council, the newly mated couple is in over their heads.

Jason Johnson is a Phoenix with a serious problem. He’s a phoenix trapped as a dog, living on the fringe of the Guardian City. His mates live in the city, but fear prevents him from going to them. Can he figure out a way to let his mates see him as he really is, instead of the dog he was forced to become?

Zoey is a Dark Elf, trapped in a cell within an Incubi trading Post. She is a trained warrior and has tried everything to get herself free, but nothing seems to work. Can she escape the clutches of the Incubi, or will she be stuck forever as a POW?

We jump right into the action again. The book starts off with Jason. Jason is a phoenix that has been turned into a dog. He is trying to live in the forest but he is starving. He is so bad off he is dying. He decides to try Guardian City for scraps even though he doesn’t want to run into his mates because he is afraid of what they will think of him. Jason has had such a hard time with love. The last time he tried he was beat and ended up and dog that was also abused.

Zoey is in a cell. She has been captured by an Incubus and he is trying to make her tell him where her people, the dark elves, are hiding. It is up to Demend and Nathan to save their other two mates and see if they can all heal each other.

If you haven’t read the first book in the series, DO before you read this one. There is no catching up. The author jumps right in to the story and does nothing to reveal what has happened up to this point so it is best to read the first one so you won’t get lost.

I didn’t like this one as well as the author’s first book. There is just too much happening at one time. Jason, Nathan’s niece, and saving Zoey is a little much for a book this short. You barely get past one situation and you are flying off to another. I think it is a little much to cover in a way that will entice readers to keep on reading. Yes, lots of action but really not much else. I think the author would have done better to at least break this up into two books. That way you could get a little more depth and emotion into the read and keep the readers in the series.

The characters are really hard to describe for this one because of the rushed nature of the story line. The first book dealt with Demend and Nathan so their nature and personality really hasn’t changed much. They seem to have solidified their bond even more so they are a very solid seeming couple. Josh is a gentler man who appears a little bouncy and excitable. Zoey is a warrior through and through. Though she is tortured she doesn’t break and plans at every opportunity to try and escape. She is female but Josh is more the nurturer in the story. I feel that Zoey has a caring nature but is like a mama bear and extremely fierce with protecting those that she loves. These are all gathered in glimpses but not expounded upon. Zoey is actually with the men in the story a VERY short time so more than that is not easily gathered.

I enjoyed the read but it was lacking in the emotional depth and connection that would normal appeal to me in a story. I think the author wanted to gather too much into one book and this caused the issue. I still feel the author will be one to watch and will smooth out issues that may appear in the writing. I hope to read more of her books in the future.

It is a new beginning for the Chanku. For so long they kept their shapeshifting ability secret, but now they have assimilated into the world in ways they once never thought possible. Still there are those who want to destroy them, with dark powers of their own… A Bold New Beginning The CEO of Cheval International, Lily Cheval chooses to live alone, but a series of rapes and murders leave her wary and worried for her fellow Chanku. Then she meets Sebastian Xenakis and the connection is intense and immediate. The son of a charismatic cult leader, Sebastian is a mysteriously sensual man who uses magic to shift into wolf form. He and Lily come together in a moment of supreme ecstasy, succumbing to a primal passion that leaves Lily shaken but utterly alive. Is Sebastian her lifetime mate or is he her worst enemy?

Dark Wolf by Kate Douglas is a delightful addition to her Chanku series. Lily Cheval is a strong heroine and is more than able to take care of herself and her family. Not only a shapeshifter, she is also a strong mage. Sebastian Xenakis is a troubled son trying to build a relationship with his distant and newly discovered father, who just happens to be the her race’s worst enemy. When the two meet for the first time, sparks fly. As the story develops, I found myself cheering for Sebastian, even when I was certain if he was a good guy or the bad guy in the story. There were times when it could have gone either way. I enjoyed watching Lily and Sebastian grow and work on their connection. My only negatives about the story development are that it seemed a bit odd for a 40ish man to be quite so focused on winning his father’s approval (especially after his mother’s deathbed warning of danger) and the fact that Lily is so quick to accept that the attack she suffered at their first meeting was not his fault, in spite of coming from Sebastian. However, these are minor flaws and do not detract from the overall storyline.

I know that many of Kate’s fans were disappointed when she announced that she was ending the series. But now that she has taken up the stories of the Chanku children, loyal fans can look forward to many more books and staying in touch with the characters we’ve come to know and love. That said; this is a book that can be read and understood without having read the many Wolf Tales books that came before. Kate does a good job of filling in the uninitiated on the Chanku history that is needed to understand the storyline. This was the first book our newly formed book club read and it was a unanimous hit. And the cover alone makes this a book worth owning!

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